The present invention relates to golf putters, and particularly to a golf putter usable with either a conventional or xe2x80x9csidesaddlexe2x80x9d putting stance by a right-handed or left-handed golfer.
Putting accounts for nearly half of the total strokes in a game of golf. Most golfers putt using a conventional stance in which the golfer addresses the ball, basically standing so he is facing at right angles to the line to the hole. Usually a golfer will choose the line of his putt while facing the hole, and then will turn about 90xc2x0 to assume his stance. The act of turning can make it difficult to continue to see the line, which can cause putts, especially short putts, to be unsuccessful because they are not hit on the line.
In order to face the hole (or target on a breaking putt) during both the xe2x80x9clining upxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cexecutionxe2x80x9d phases of the putting stroke, some golfers have adopted a xe2x80x9csidesaddlexe2x80x9d putting stance. For this stance, the golfer stands to one side of the ball and faces the hole. (The precursor of the sidesaddle stance was the xe2x80x9ccroquet stylexe2x80x9d stance, in which the golfer stands astride the line from the ball to the hole and swings the club between his legs. This putting technique is now specifically forbidden by the U.S. Golf Association (U.S.G.A.) Rules of Golf, Rule 16-1e). FIG. 1 is a photograph of Sam Snead, perhaps the most famous golfer to use the sidesaddle stance.
In the sidesaddle stance, the golfer generally leans over the ball and tries to place his eyes in the vertical plane of the ball and the target. This is difficult with a conventional putter, because the putter is constructed so that the shaft is at an angle of at least 10xc2x0 to the vertical when the sole of the putter is on the ground. (This angle is required by Appendix II of the 2000-01 U.S.G.A. Rules, Part 1d(i), which states that xe2x80x9cthe projection of the straight part of the shaft on to the vertical plane through the toe and heel shall diverge from the vertical by at least 10 degreesxe2x80x9d). The required angle also makes it difficult for a golfer to position his hands in the vertical plane of the ball and the hole.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,552, incorporated herein by reference, Garber discloses a putter designed to be used either in a conventional or sidesaddle stance. The putter has a head generally in the form of a right triangle, with two putting surfaces. A larger surface is intended to be used for longer putts in a conventional stance, and a smaller surface at right angles to the larger surface is intended to be used for shorter putts in a sidesaddle stance. As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,657 to Gidney, the Garber putter design probably does not conform to the U.S.G.A Rules of Golf (xe2x80x9cThe clubhead shall have only one striking face, except that a putter may have two such faces if their characteristics are the same, and they are opposite each other,xe2x80x9d Id., Appendix II, Part 4c). Furthermore, the asymmetry of the putter head makes it somewhat awkward to swing, since its center of mass may not lie along the line of the shaft. In addition, left-handed golfers must use a separate putter.
A need still exists for a putter having two identical putting faces opposite to one another that can conveniently be used from either a conventional or a sidesaddle stance, by both left-handed and right-handed golfers, and a method and device for sidesaddle stance putting that promotes a stable and consistent putting stroke.
In one aspect, the invention comprises a xe2x80x9cblockxe2x80x9d putter having a shaft and a substantially symmetric head, where the head has a width in the range of about half the width of a regulation golf ball to about twice the width of a regulation golf ball. The club is preferably in conformance with the 2000-01 U.S.G.A. Rules of Golf, which are incorporated herein by reference. The head of the putter is more preferably in the range of about xc2xe times the width of a golf ball to about 1xc2xc times the width of a golf ball, and most preferably of about the same width as a golf ball. The sole of the putter may be curved from front to back, from side to side, or both. The shaft may be bent in the direction of the heel of the putter. The putter head may have a weight in the range of about 200 to about 500 grams, or preferably about 250 to about 350 grams. A vertical channel may be cut into the putter head (e.g., to reduce weight). The shaft may have a length of at least about 40 inches, or at least about 48 inches. The putter may further comprise a weight disposed on the shaft. Such a weight may, for example, shift the center of mass of the putter to a point at or near the lower gripping hand in address position. Alternatively, the center of mass of the system of the putter and the swinging arm may be considered, and the weight may act to shift the center of mass of the system approximately to or above the position of the lower gripping hand, or approximately to the center of mass of the golfer""s arm. The weight may have a mass in the range of about 50 to about 200 grams, or preferably in the range of about 100 to about 150 grams. The putter may further comprise one or more grips. The grips may have a relatively large diameter, such as at least about 1 inch, or at least about 1xc2xc inches.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a pair of matched putters, one for practice and one for competitive play. The practice putter head has a width of less than about half the width of a regulation golf ball, while the competition putter head has a width in the range of about half the width of a regulation golf ball to about twice the width of a golf ball. The matched putters have substantially the same center of mass and radius of gyration about the shoulder of the golfer""s swinging arm. The heads of the two putters may have substantially the same mass. The head of the competition putter is more preferably in the range of about xc2xe times the width of a golf ball to about 1xc2xc times the width of a golf ball, and most preferably of about the same width as a golf ball. The heads of the two putters may have the same vertical cross-section, or may be of the same shape, except for their width.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a method of putting that includes addressing a golf ball in a sidesaddle stance, swinging a putter having an elongated shaft, and controlling the putter during the putting swing from at least three points of contact. Generally, the putter will have a length between 40 and 84 inches such that the shaft of the putter extends above the shoulder of the golfer. The golfer grasps the putter with both hands and further stabilizes the putter by resting the elongated shaft on his shoulder.